Code Geass: Ragnarök Reborn
by Salaeren
Summary: <html><head></head>A fallen prince once tried to live a quiet life alongside the witch he loved, but an unfamiliar enemy tore that dream apart. Years later, a young man finds himself thrust out of his modest life, dragged into a battle for the fate of the world. With cherished friends at his side, can he piece together the fragments of his father's legacy in time? Or will Ragnarök be reborn?</html>


"Alcohol, at this time of night? You've certainly grown quite lax over the years."

Suzaku merely scoffed, continuing to pour his friend the wine until the priceless liquor threatened to spill over the edges. The glass itself was crystalline, fragile, and almost as expensive as the wine itself.

"Special occasions call for some special celebration, you know."

"That bottle is hardly even half-full," the other man smirked, eyes glowing a fierce crimson as he accepted the glass gratefully. "You've been dipping into that from time to time, I presume?" He groaned with irritation when a small amount spilled onto his shirt, casting his friend an ominous glare.

"Sorry," Suzaku sighed, taking a quick swig from his own glass. He followed the first sigh with another, though this one was pleasurable and far more relaxed. "So it's over, then?"

The raven-haired youth across from him nodded, setting his own glass down. "They are hidden away and the one who continued to cause us grief will do so no longer. I've made certain of that."

"You're still sending your kid away, aren't you?"

The young man had nothing to say to that, tracing a lone finger along the rim of his glass.

Suzaku scratched his stubble, eyes wandering over to the outfit resting on his four-poster bed. The ebony helmet, still fully functional after so many years, glistened in the pale moonlight that streamed through the windows.

"I guess that's just like you," Suzaku finally added, chuckling quietly. "Contingencies for every backup plan, and a backup plan for every situation. You'd hardly be you if that had changed."

"Very little about me has changed," came the other man's reply. The glowing eyes no longer stared into Suzaku's, focusing instead on the night sky instead. "It's surprisingly cold outside."

Suzaku tried to take another drink, but his glass was already empty. Grumbling, he pouring himself some more and reached over to do the same, but his friend merely waved it off with one hand.

"Does the cold even bother you anymore? For that matter, what about alcohol?"

The eyes came back to rest on his own, and blinked nonchalantly. "In all the time we've been cooperating, not once have you inquired about my condition. Why the sudden interest?"

"You could die tomorrow and I'd never know it."

The other man laughed at that, cheerfully and uproariously, as if he were once again an innocent student hiding away in plain sight. "I suppose that's true. But no, in response to your question, the cold holds no pain for me. It is refreshing and it almost seems to taunt me every time I shiver, offering something that now I can never have. And as for alcohol…"

He lifted his cup and twirled the fragile item in his fingers, smiling.

"Well," Suzaku added, scratching his chin again with a smile of his own, "at least there are some things you can still enjoy. Alcohol, books, desperate gambits when trying to save the world…"

They chuckled together in the darkness of the room, leaning across the table as that pleasant lightning coursed through their sides and made them forget the worries that plagued their minds.

The other man was the first to stop laughing, though he still wore a kind smile.

"And what about the company of old friends?"

Suzaku extended a fist across the table and the other man gratefully accepted the gesture, responding in kind by tapping his own fist against Suzaku's.

"Can't argue with that," the green-eyed hero responded.

"Well, I'm afraid this will have to mark the end of our celebration for tonight," the red-eyed man said, rising to his feet with narrowed eyes. One would say they were almost longing, yearning for something out of reach.

"I know what you're going to ask," Suzaku sighed, arms crossed as he remained seated. "And I've already forgiven you. Years of mind-numbing guard duty and that one final adventure for us did wonders for my mind. What's done is done."

"I still can't seem to let go," the other man muttered, staring outside again.

"Just do what you can. I won't ask anything else, other than maybe that you stop by every once in a while. It would help, I think."

"We both know you're the only one who can know about me."

Suzaku shrugged. Silence passed between them one final time before the visitor moved to the doors leading outside, intending to leave from the same balcony he had initially climbed over.

"Say hello to C.C. for me."

Lelouch blinked, glancing back at his friend with one last smile.

"I'll do that."

* * *

><p>Upon returning to the cottage, Lelouch could immediately tell something was amiss. The lights were still on despite how late it was, and C.C. was never one to stay up longer than he. In fact, it seemed as if she'd only grown lazier and more content with time.<p>

That complacency may have very well landed her in a rough spot, considering the fact that one of their windows was open...another detail that was rather worrisome. A burglar, perhaps? A murderer?

"_Simply wasting their time if that's the case," _Lelouch thought to himself, smirking a little as he crept around the back of their home.

His eyes continued to glow that fearsome red as the sigils held within threatened to overwhelm him. It had taken no small amount of time for him to restrain the wild power his new Geass possessed, so vast was its potential when combined with the endless power of a Code. As he slowly nudged the back door open and winced at the creaking noise, an old sensation wormed its way into his body. One he had not felt for quite some time.

Fear, even now? He had removed every obstacle, cleared very objective. Not to mention, the curse of immortality weighed his body down and kept him bound to the Earth, beyond the grasp of time. Just like C.C., who was understandably irritated at being tied to one of the chairs in their modest little kitchen.

What an amusing scene it proved to be, watching as she shook from left to right and struggled in vain to free herself. Bound and gagged, robbed of control; certainly not one of her kinks. Lelouch suppressed a chuckle, flashing her a mocking smile as her eyes went wide and her struggling intensified.

"My, you went and invited some company over while I was away? You'll break my heart, C.C."

He stepped into the kitchen, paying the intruder behind him no heed as the figure slowly pushed the door closed. Lelouch continued to watch C.C. with a cool expression, unfazed as the intruder's feet slowly pressed down against the aged floorboards.

Lelouch blinked, and a flash of radiant light was suddenly cast out from his body in a massive sparkling orb, and the intruder audibly gasped.

"Stand still, and speak only when spoken to."

All movements from the mysterious individual ceased entirely, and Lelouch walked over to C.C. to remove the gag from her mouth. The moment he did he was filled with regret as she irritably bit his hand, pouting up at him with narrowed eyes.

"Gah! What the devil is the matter with you?! That hurt!"

"Maybe next time when you walk in on me tied to a chair, you'll move a little faster when it comes to rescuing me! I'm beginning to think you don't care for me anymore," she huffed, looking away. She wasn't quick enough, however, and Lelouch caught that mischievous glint in her eyes.

Smiling a little himself, he bent down to untie her hands and helped C.C. to her feet, gasping a little as she suddenly fell into his arms.

Crimson splashed beautifully against gold and the two of them were locked in a little moment, her hands on his chest as she looked up at him rather dramatically.

"I tripped," C.C. said.

"No, you did not. You pushed yourself into my arms."

"I would never do something so devious. What, do you think me some kind of witch?"

She wasn't even trying to hide her amusement anymore, and after a moment, neither was he.

"Of course not. That would mean I am a warlock, and surely you can see that I'm too pure of heart to fill such a frightening role."

"Indeed," she smirked, pulling away from him and turning to face the intruder. Lelouch did the same, arms crossed as he glared at the hooded figure. He took note of the squared shoulders and quickly deduced that their uninvited guest was a male, and still quite young judging from his height and the thickness of the arms beneath his sleeves.

"You can speak freely, and I would suggest that you explain yourself. It's been a long time since I've killed anyone," Lelouch growled, irritably tapping his fingers against his arms, "and I've no desire to return to that path. I'd prefer to let you live if at all possible."

"Wha...what did you do to me?!" A boy's voice sounded out from the hood, the tremor in his voice unmistakable. That was the sound of fear, one Lelouch had been quite familiar with in the past.

"It's called a Geass," Lelouch responded, remaining completely still as he spoke. "Mine has evolved beyond its original form, allowing me to 'expand' its capabilities. The moment you stepped within ten metres of my body, you lost any chance of escaping or doing what you came here to do. Perhaps I'll alter your memories, turn you into a traveling circus act. Or maybe you'd prefer to bark like a dog for the rest of your life?"

"If you're going to torture him," C.C. interjected, leaning against the cobblestone wall behind her, "you could at least make me something to eat, first. I'd love to see his face as I enjoy a whole pizza in front of him."

"There will be no need for that," Lelouch replied, walking past the intruder and closing the window the boy had entered through. "None but the most resolute human beings can resist the power of Geass. Now, to send you-"

Lelouch suddenly lost the ability to speak as something frigid spread along his chest, his body slowly growing numb as the sensation continued to spread throughout his form. He heard C.C. cry out as he looked down, shocked to see a bloodstained blade jutting out of his lower abdomen.

"Or someone who possesses a Code of their own," the boy sneered, pushing the sword deeper into Lelouch's back. "Your Geass of Absolute Dominion has failed you. And now, your Code will be mine like all the others."

C.C. cried out and charged the boy, golden eyes blazing with a feeling she'd not known in years. A true and beautiful anger drove her forward, but a shockwave from the boy's other outstretched hand sent her flying back against the wall.

Lelouch desperately took hold of the blade sticking out of him, eyelids flickering as his immortality was drained into the time-lost weapon.

"It's you…" He groaned, tightening his grip so furiously that the edge drew blood. The mysterious youth laughed, suddenly ripping the blade free and kicking out the back of Lelouch's knee. The former prince tumbled to the floor and lay motionless as his power waned, the light of his Geass fading as its true power was once again sealed away.

"It took me a while to figure out who you really were and where you'd run off to," the boy continued, casually swinging the elegant broadsword in one hand as he approached C.C.'s prone body. "I'll admit, you got the better of me at first. Hunting down the other Code Blades with such tenacity and hiding them away, even managing to destroy one as you journeyed across the world? Truly, you are a demon, Lelouch Lamperouge...or do you prefer Lelouch vi Britannia? Or perhaps, even…"

The boy turned to stare back at him from beneath the hood, eyes glowing with a Geass of their very own. "L.L.?"

"You've beaten me," Lelouch conceded, gritting his teeth as he struggled to bury his pride. He had to do so, had to remain strong for her sake. The sight of her, crawling over to him with that heartwrenching expression, threatened to rip him apart from the inside out.

"Yes, I have."

"So take your leave!" Lelouch spat, wincing as he struggled to lift himself off the floor by his elbows. "You've got what you came for, you've had your revenge on me! Just walk away from here and leave me to die."

"Not yet," the boy giggled, turning back to face C.C. as he plunged the blade deep into her back.

"Aahh!" She gasped out, eyes wide as the sacred symbol on her forehead began to fade.

"C.C!" Lelouch cried, moving with renewed vigor over to her. The brief fire in his body died out when he watched her fall still, a furious maelstrom of emotions surging up inside of him as tears began to bead in the corner of his eyes.

"Now it's over," the boy said with finality, promptly withdrawing the sword and returning it to a scabbard beneath his cloak. Walking briskly over to the back door, he opened it and shivered as a cold breeze blew in. He took one last look down at the man who had sacrificed everything to change the world, and grit his teeth.

"Enjoy your last night together," he spat, glaring furiously down at the fallen prince. "I'm sure the thought of leaving each other terrifies you, but don't worry."

Lelouch tried to ignore him, reaching out with all his strength to the woman who had changed his entire life.

"I'll bring you back together with the power of Ragnarök. I am now one step closer to realizing the dream, but only because of your hard work. So, let's part on good terms."

Their attacker did a mocking bow and smiled down at them both, satisfied as the two of them bled their mortal lives away.

"Thank you, L.L."

The door slammed shut as the boy took his leave, the cottage filled with horrible silence once again. Lelouch continued to struggle, crawling along the floor with all his might over to C.C.

"C.C.," he murmured, eyes growing heavier with every strenuous movement. He reached out to touch her, but his hand simply could not close the distance between them. He let the palm fall bitterly to the wooden floor, lowering his head as he cried.

Suddenly, warmth. Lelouch's eyes went wide and he looked up, his heart almost beating its last as he looked once more into the golden orbs he so greatly cherished.

His accomplice, his witch, his wife. The one who had given him so much, the one he had sacrificed everything for in the pursuit of fulfilling her one true wish.

"Say my name," she whispered, real tears falling for the first time since the birth of their child. "Please."

Lelouch struggled against the lump in his throat and bowed his head again, choking on his tears as he did so. Her hand was gentle as she interlaced her fingers in his own, holding his hand so firmly despite her fading strength.

"Please," she repeated, softer this time.

"Cecaniah," he blurted out, overwhelmed by despair as the full weight of his failures came crashing down on him. Lelouch crumpled to the floor and watched as her eyes began to close, her grip on his hand weakening with every second.

"Cecaniah," he said again, giving her hand one last squeeze. "I love you," he said quietly, clenching his eyes shut as he fought for every precious second. "I have always loved you, and that...that will never change. I'm your warlock, right?" He choked out a laugh, eyes burning with tears as she responded in kind.

"Fufufu...I suppose...I never had much choice, did I…?"

Lelouch blinked the tears away, looking at her once more.

"You were...the only one…"

C.C. tried to crawl for him again, and the fire in her eyes was enough to consume all the years of passion that they had held together. Nothing else in all his memories could compare to that blazing gold as she fought harder than ever before, unable to let go.

"...who understood me," she murmured, reaching out with her other hand to stroke his cheek as she finally closed the distance between them. She smiled, smiled so widely and so brightly, and it was the single most beautiful thing he had seen in all his years on Earth.

"Ne, Lelouch...is this smile...good?"

"Ah," he smiled back, reaching up to place his free hand atop hers. "I believe...it's the best you've ever shown me," he sighed, finally collapsing to the floor.

She knew he was dead. She'd seen the light leave his eyes after that final word, and could only watch helplessly as the furious Geass that had controlled the world collapsed into nothingness. She had watched him die, even after she'd promised not to.

When he'd returned to her, bearing news of his ill-begotten immortality, she had wrapped him in an embrace so unlike any other they'd shared before that moment. And in that moment, she had sworn to herself. She swore she would never watch him die, and now, that promise was broken.

But there had been another, equally important and quite laughably frivolous. She'd promised to smile for him, and in the end, at least she had managed that much.

"I'll show you again," she whispered, leaning forward to kiss his forehead as the light faded from her eyes. "In C's world."

At last she fell still, and her wish of a thousand lifetimes had finally been fulfilled.


End file.
